is becoming an lvn in california worth it?

andrea13rn · May 20, 2014

Get your CNA (certified nurse assistant) certification. You can make some money in the same field before going to school. If you have to stay in Southern California, you need a BSN. I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's how hospitals work these days. You may be able to get a stable job in a SNF (skilled nursing facility) as an LVN, but other than that, the LVN position is dwindling in SoCal.

nayeluh · Jun 11, 2014

I just recently got a job at a nursing facility and they hire their own staff after they complete the lvn program, they start them off at 17 or 18 an hour. I think that's alright pay and I would pretty much have a guaranteed job afterwards, so now I'm thinking about what school to attend, its going to have to be a private school because i cant afford a waiting lost or risk not getting accepted into a community or rop progra. im going to be working the noc shift from 12-8am and i have a six month old so its going to be tough but im determined. Does anybody know about a good school in the inland empire area? And how the schedules are?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 12, 2014

If you're looking at LVN schools, don't be discouraged about their accreditation status. The vast majority of them across the nation are not "accredited" because they don't need to be. They only need to be approved by the BON of the state in which they're located.

Commercial (investor owned) schools are technical, clock-hour programs rather than based upon college credits. This means that none of the 'courses' will transfer for credit if/when you want to pursue your RN. The rare exceptions are those Community College LVN programs that are actually part of a 'career ladder' arrangement with (college-based) ADN / BSN programs... where courses are all pre-approved for transfer so graduates can easily move up the education pathway.